Palestinian inquiry says deposed patriarch not tied to land deal

No evidence to incriminate Irineos I

Jul 26, 2005

In an unusual turn of events, a Palestinian Authority committee of inquiry has cleared Irineos, the deposed Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, of accusations that he was involved in leasing church property to Jewish investors.

The findings could mean that Irineos will be able to hold on to his job as patriarch despite being disowned in May by leaders of the world’s Orthodox churches and deposed by his own bishops over the land scandal even as he protested his innocence.

“Based on the information we obtained, we found no evidence to incriminate Patriarch Irineos I over the deal,” the Palestinian investigators said in a report July 4 in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds. “He did not take part in the transactions at any stage and did not receive any money,” it added.